The task of publishing information over a network such as, for example, the Internet, typically involves the conversion of such information into a computer readable format. Scripts consistent with certain standards, such as HTML, JavaScript, and Java, are often employed, as they can be rendered and viewed using a traditional web browser. The creation process of such scripts has evolved substantially since the inception of the Internet. For example, commercial software tools are available for converting information stored in a database to such scripts with relative ease. Such tools are adequate for purposes such as corporate web portals, since the computing environment for this tends to be relatively stable.
New business models, however, such as Application Service Providers (“ASP”) have a different set of requirements. An ASP caters to the computing needs of other businesses, and operates the requisite hardware and software on behalf of its customers. An ASP's support of other businesses necessitates the ASP to make a wide range of hardware and software accessible over the Internet, in order to meet the needs of its dynamically changing customer-base. Since each software application that an ASP uses may have its own peculiar web-based interface, there is a need for an ASP to find a solution that can integrate all these disparate web interfaces in a dynamic and cost-effective manner.
Web pages are traditionally generated using one of several methods. Web pages can be manually coded using relevant scripts. However, manually creating web pages is generally suitable in cases where the simplest type of web pages being developed.
A second way to generate a web page is to use available applications specifically developed to create web pages from a certain data source in a systematic way. Such programs include, for example, CGI programs, Java servlets, active server pages and Java server pages. Such commercially available programs include embedded information regarding web page presentation and navigational structures. This is suitable as a mechanism for publishing information from a large data store in a systematic way. However, since much of the page definition is embedded in the program's logic it is difficult to update and maintain web pages created in this manner.
A third way of creating web pages involves using a specialized creation program which is designed for publishing information in a flexible way from a specific type of data source, such as SQL databases. Such programs can provide flexibility regarding how and which information is published, but they are limited as to the type of supported datasources.
A fourth way of creating web pages, involves using a specialized creation program which is designed for aggregating information from various sources and presenting them in a unified context to a user. Such programs are typically used by corporations to publish information to its employees or customers. Such systems, while suitable for use within the relatively stable corporate environment, are insufficient for a dynamic environment like the emerging service provider market. Typically such programs have little or no support for a substantial number of features that service providers utilize, such as fine-grained access control to individual web pages, and branding support of the pages.
Accordingly, known methods for generating web pages have certain disadvantages when used in the creation of web pages in the service provider market.